Death Valley advice needed

[AxisOfBeagles]

Soon to head over to Death Valley and Mono Lake for a photo trip. Targeting early morning Badwater and Devil's golfcourse, with opportunistic shots during the day.

Later, stopping in at Mono Lake on the way home for a couple days.

Any advice on locations, compass bearings (which bearing to shoot in which light), lenses, filters, appreciated.

 

[Phrasikleia]

Soon to head over to Death Valley and Mono Lake for a photo trip. Targeting early morning Badwater and Devil's golfcourse, with opportunistic shots during the day.

Later, stopping in at Mono Lake on the way home for a couple days.

Any advice on locations, compass bearings (which bearing to shoot in which light), lenses, filters, appreciated.

Definitely a CPL for Mono Lake. Those white formations can produce quite a glare. Ditto for Devil's Golfcourse. My absolute favorite spot there is Mosaic Canyon. The colors are unbelievable, and the formations and stratifications are completely surreal. I probably don't need to mention the importance of having a tripod in those canyons.

 

[Lovesong]

I'd try to hit Zabriskie point at sunset.
I'd agree with Phrasikleia about Mosaic Canyon. If you get the chance to see Artist's drive at sunset/sunrise it's remarkable.

On terms of equipment, I would second the CPL, and if you have a set of neutral grads, they may be useful.

 

[NintendoChick]

Which way are you coming from?

From the south:
Rainbow falls is just a short trek from Devils Postpile. Beautiful place...

From the north:
Bodie (the ghost town) might be fun. Tons of old buildings and the like, if that's what you're into.

There's tons of places, If I just knew where you were coming from...

 

[AxisOfBeagles]

Thanks all. Yes, I will take a CPL filter, and will also take a 2-stop graduated ND filter. And yea, all landscape shooting will be on a tripod; mirror locked up, and with the remote.

Nintendo - planning to enter the Park through Beatty, and will be leaving on the west road towards Lone Pine.

Current plan is to concentrate on just a small area for early morning and late afternoon shoots - Badwater and Devils golfcourse. During the days, was hoping to take opportunistic shots - buildings, people, debris, whatever.

Will be shooting both digital and film; 40d digital, and an old Rollei medium format w/ B&W film.

 

[ChrisA]

Nintendo - planning to enter the Park through Beatty, and will be leaving on the west road towards Lone Pine.

I was just in Lone Pine a few days ago. Still lots of snow on the Sierra and some spring time green on Owens Valley. It's a long drive from Lone Pine to Mono Lake. Along the way are many photo ops. Old buldings, houses and long abandoned Motels and the like with snow capped 14,000 foot peaks in the background. The road that connects Death Valley with Mono lake is as photogenic as ether of the others.

An hour up the road from desert of Mono Lake is still fresh snow, sugary stuff that is waist deep in places (even in snow shoes)

 

[osin]

Just a tag...